Propeller



Oct. 6, 1931. J. F. RANDALL 1,826,021

PROPELLER Filed March l, 1926 A rrak/Yfys Patented @et @,fil i PATENT ortica JAMES F. RAIiI'DAfl'illI,V 0F OZARK, `MISSOURI.'

rrtomnmnnV Application tiledv March 1, '1926. Serial No. 91,383.v

This invention relates generally to improvements in Vpropellers, and more specilically to a propeller provided with blades and intended particularly for use with` boats, the

' predominant object of the invention being to produce a propeller which is so constructed that the blades thereof are capable of being adjusted to change the angle of said blades,

. whereby the speed of travel of the boat may l@ be increased or decreased, or the direction of travel of said boat reversed. Also, my improved propeller is'so constructed and arranged that the blades thereof maybe moved to a neutral position-in which position rotal tion of the propeller will not impart movement to 'the boat. To obtain the full benefit of my4 invention the blades ofthe propeller must be capable of being adjusted while said propeller is being operated, in other words, i3@ while it is being rotated, and my invention includes means whereby this may be accomplished..

Wth the foregoing and other objects in n view, the invention comprises the novel cone 2@ struction, combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter more specifically described and illnstratedin the accompanying drawings, wherein is shown the preferred embodiment of the invention. However, it is 3@ to be understood that the invention comprehends changes, variations and modications which come within the scope of the claims hereunto appended.

Fig. l is a fragmentary view, partly in side elevation and partly in vertical section, showingla boat provided with my improved prop Fig. ll is a plan view of the propeller and associated elements shown in Fig. l, a portion of the boat being broken away.

Fig. Hl is a rear elevation of my improved propeller with parts of the blades being broken away to conserve space.

Fig. lV is an enlarged vertical section, showing a portion o-f the mechanism for adjusting the propeller blades.

In'the drawings A'designates a boat provided with a suitable rudder B capable of being moved by means of mechanism (not 00 shown) to control the direction of travel of the boat. The boat A is also provided with-an engine or other prime mover (not shown) through the operation of which the boat may be driven.

ldesignates a ower shaft, said power shaft being extended rom the prime mover to the stern portion of the boat, at which point my improved propeller C is mounted on said shaft. The power shaft is preferably supported within a tube 1 which passes through 50 a portion of the keel D of the boat. My improved propeller comprises a hub portion- 2 and a plurality of blades 3, said blades 3, as is ordinarily the case, being each provided with a flat outer portion 3', the transverse @5 axis of which is arranged at an angle with respect to the axis about which'the propeller rotates. Referring now to Fig. lV it will be noted that the hub orticn 2 of the propeller C comprises a at wall 2a and a man 5'@ ginal wall 2b having flat portions 2f at the outer face thereof, said walls preferably being formed integral with each other and the wall 2a being provided with an opening l through which the power shaft l extends. The wall i5 A 2a is provided with a boss on its inner face which surrounds the opening 4l, whereby' thickness is addedto said wall at said opening, and said hub portion 2 of the propeller is rigidly fixed to the power shaft l in any @il suitable manner and rotates therewith. Formed in the marginal wall 2' of the portion 2 of the propeller is a plurality et apertures 5, there being one of said apertures for each individual blade 3, as shown @5 in Fig. HI. Formed on the blades 3 at the inner ends thereof and extended inwardly from said blades in approximate longitudinal alinement with the longitudinal axes thereof are pins 6, there being one of said pins 6 as- 'm sociated with each individual blade. .The pins 6 are extended through the apertures 5 in the marginal wall 2b of the hub portion 2, and washers 7 and Cotter pins 8 are mounted on said pins kadjacent to the inner face of the marginal wall 2b to prevent accidental withdrawal of said pins. The inner portions of t-he blades 3 are of greater diameterthan the pins 6, and said inner portions of said blades contactwith the iat portions of the m.

outer face of the marginal wall 2"'whereby inward movement of said blades is prevented. Extended outwardly from the lower end portions of the blades 3 are arms 9, said arms preferably being formed integral with said blades. It is apparent, in view of the arrangement just described, thatl the blades 3 are capable of rotating about the longitudinal axes thereof, whereby the angles of said blades may be changed.

AMounted on the power shaft 1 is a member 1() provided with a plurality of integral arms 11. The power shaft 1 is provided with a feather key which provides means whereby the member may be moved longitudinally of said power shaft while rotating4 therewith, and said member 10 is provided with an annular groove 13 which is intended for a purpose to be hereinafter set forth. 14 designates links which pivotally connect thearms 11 on the member 10 to the arms 9 to the/'inner ends of the blades 3, whereby movement of said member 10 longitudinally of the shaft 1 will impart` rotary movement to the blades 3. 15 designates a tube extended through the keel D'of the boat, said tube being arranged immediately above the tube'1 through which the power shaft 1 passes. Extended through the tube 15 is a rod 16, said rod having a bifurcated member 17 secured thereto at its rearmost end. The leg portions of the bifurcated member 17 are securedto a member 18 composed of a pair of members bolted together to produce a band whichencircles the member 10 and extends into the annular groove 13 formed therein. whereby longitudinal movement of the rod 16 will cause the member 10 to be moved longitudinally of the power shaft 1. 19 designates a rack which is secured to the rod 16 at' the forward end thereof and/ls provided for sliding movement ,in a suitable bearing 20 rigidly supported b v the tube 1', and arranged in mesh with said rack 19 is a pinion 21. The pinion 21 is located at the lower end of a shaft 22. said shaft being arranged for rotation in a bearing 23 supported by a circular plate 23 mounted on a frame 24 extended upwardlyfrom the bottnm of the boat. The upper end portion of the shaft 22 is flattened, as shown clearly in Fig. II, and pivotally mounted on said flattened portion of said shaft is an operating arm 25. 7

Extended upwardly from the top face of the plate 23 is a plurality of proiections, said projections being so arranged that depressions 26 are located between adjacent proiections. 33 designates a coil spring which is attached to the operating arm and to the shaft 22, the arrangement of said coil spring y being such that it will tend to force the nose portion 25 of said operating arm downwardly.

In the operation of a boat equipped with my improved propeller it will be assumed that the boat is traveling at a certain speed and that it is desired to increasey or decrease ion will'be likewise rotated. The pinion 2l is in mesh with the rack 19, and as a result of this arrangement rotation of said pinion will cause said rack to slide longitudinally of the bearing 20.y The rod 16 is secured to the rack 19, and also the bifurcated member 17 is secured to said rod 16, and therefore movement of the rack will cause movement to be imparted to the member 10, thus causing said member 10 to slide longitudinally` of the power shaft 1.A It has already been stated that movement of the member 10 longitudinally of the shaft 1 will impart rotary movement to the blades 3 through the instrumentalityof the arms 9 and 11 and links 14, and when this movement of said blades takes place the angle of the flat portions of said blades will be changed and the speed of travel of the boat will be varied.

When it is desired to permit the propeller C to rotate without imparting movement to the boat the blades 3 of said propeller are moved to neutral positions, or in other words, to positions where the transverse axes of the flat outer portions 3 thereof are at right angles to the axis about which the propeller rotates. When the propeller blades are in the positions indicated it is plain that they will pass through the water without imparting movement to the boat. When it is desired to reverse thevdirection of travel of the boat the propeller blades are moved to positions beyond the neutral position mentioned above, in which positions the propeller will be converted from a lefthand propeller, for instance, to a righthand propeller, or vice versa.

It is apparent that the member 10 and links 14 rotate with the propeller C, while the band 18 is non-rotating, but it is plain because said band extends into the annular groove 13 in the member 10 that the relative movement mentioned may take place.

To protect the moving parts of the mechanism for adjusting the propeller blades which are located at the stern portion of the boat so that matter in the water 'may not become entangled therewith, I employ a pair of telescoping members 27 and 28. The member 27 is supported by and rotates with the hub portion of the propeller, while the member 28 is xad Ito the tube 1 and is non-rotatable.

c aim:

A propeller comprising, in combination, a

p cured to the lower end of said shaft, said pindriving shaft a hub rigidly aixed to one extremity of the driving shaft, blades pivotally4 secured to the hub, means for imparting pivotal movement to' the blades, and a protective 5 housing composed of a plurality o telescoping sections located exteriorally of a. vessel to which the propeller is attached for covering the blade actuating' means, one of said sections bein arranged torotate with 'the 10 propeller, an the other section being maintained in a fixed position with res t to the vessel, and said telescoping sections being independent ofthe blade-adyusting means.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing I 15 hereunto ailix my si ature.

- S F. RANDALL. 

